BAY LAKE, Fla. — The Haunted Mansion attraction at Magic Kingdom has a new “haunting” addition — the fabled Hatbox Ghost.
What You Need To Know
- Hatbox Ghost has materialized at Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom
- The animatronic appears in the scene with the endless hallway
- The figure features a unique effect that allows its head to disappear and reappear in a hatbox it's carrying
The animatronic, which was announced for Disney World last year at Disney’s D23 Expo, is positioned next to the ride’s endless hallway.
As riders pass the figure, his head will disappear from his body and reappear in the hatbox in his hand. The scene also includes a set of hatboxes near the ghost.
The Hatbox Ghost’s origins began at Disneyland in California as the figure was part of the park’s Haunted Mansion attraction when it opened in 1969. However, the ghost was removed shortly after because the effect didn’t work — leading the character to develop a sort of legendary status among theme park fans.
In 2015, thanks in part to new technology, the ghost returned to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
Work to add the figure at Disney World's version of Haunted Mansion began this summer. In September, at its Destination D23 event, Disney revealed that the character would "materialize" in late November.
With the arrival of the Hatbox Ghost at Magic Kingdom, the character now appears in both Haunted Mansion attractions at Disney’s U.S. parks.